ME and a Rental Car - best strategy?

[Jhalkias]

I want to use ME for our next vacation to WDW, but we also LOVE the convenience of having a rental car. I am wondering if you use ME, can you skip the bus, rent a car to drive to the resort, and just let them deliver your luggage?

In other words, do you have to ride the bus?

For me, it would be worth it to just not have to hassle with luggage, and go straight to the rental car and drive to the resort.

John

 

[IlovePiglet]

To use the luggage portion of DME from MCO to WDW, you must ride the bus.
On the return to the airport if you're flying a participating airline (Delta/Song, United/Ted, American, Continental, or Jetblue), you can still utilize the check in service at the resort whether you use DME back to MCO, or not.

 

[safetymom]

Yes you have to ride the bus. You receive a voucher that is scanned when you board the bus. If your voucher isn't scanned your luggage isn't delivered.

This is a service to transport guests with their luggage. Not just the luggage.

 

[joanchris]

something I had thought of before we decided not to get a rental.....Have DH get the rental car alone. Have me and my 2 girls use our luggage tags only on the checked bags (we only checked 4 bags, more than enough tags using only our names), then we would take ME, and DH would meet us at the hotel with the luggage.
The reason being that DD10 uses a wheelchair, and we probably couldn't fit her chair AND the luggage for the trip to the hotel.
Should work if you can work something out like one gets the car and the others use their tags for luggage.

 

[Jhalkias]

Great Idea Joan!

That sounds like it should work if we want to do it that way.

Any ideas on renting a car if you all decide to take the bus?

What is the easiest way to rent a car at WDW if you are already at the resort?

Part of the idea is that we will be spending five days at WDW, but then want to drive to Vero Beach resort for four days.

John

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

something I had thought of before we decided not to get a rental.....Have DH get the rental car alone. Have me and my 2 girls use our luggage tags only on the checked bags (we only checked 4 bags, more than enough tags using only our names), then we would take ME, and DH would meet us at the hotel with the luggage.
The reason being that DD10 uses a wheelchair, and we probably couldn't fit her chair AND the luggage for the trip to the hotel.
Should work if you can work something out like one gets the car and the others use their tags for luggage.

Make sure you let them know that you will need a wheelchair lift equipped motorcoach when you make your bookings.

 

[NCRedding]

jhalkias: I didn't plan on renting a car this trip, but after several LONG waits for buses at SSR, I rented one. I tried to use the National at Wyndham Palace at DTD, but they had no cars. National/Alamo have a desk at the Car Care Center, and provide a shuttle from the various hotels--you have to make a reservation at least one hour prior to needing the shuttle. They pick up hourly. Pretty easy.

I loved ME to the resort--it took about 2 1/2 hours to get our luggage, which came after 11:30 pm. We loved checking our luggage at the resort, and getting our boarding passes.

 

[Jhalkias]

Just wondering about arriving at the resort too. Read a bad story about long waits to check in when you have a whole busload of people checking in at once and all converging on the desk.

John

 

[NCRedding]

We were the only people who got off ME at our resort on Wed. 1/4. However, there was only one person working the front desk (and she was unfriendly and inefficient), so check-in took longer than normal, but not because of the number of people.

 

[Jhalkias]

The story was on the DVC board about check in at OKW on 1/1 - over an hour long wait! May have been a fluke due to the date.

John

 

[biggroofy]

I am also struggling using Disney Transportation vs Car Rental...

Does anyone know how far is Disney resort (e.g. POFQ) from Orlando Airport?
I read some posts and would like to take a taxi, but I heard that we must bring a car-seat if we have a child (2-year-old) otherwise cab drivers will refuse our ride?

If it is more than 1 hour driver from airport to resort, then I do not want to pick up vehicle at Orlando Airport. I heard there is a car rental company at Magic Kingdom. Would it be faster and more convenient? However, is the parking lot at Magic Kingdom very far away? Furthermore, is there any gas station within Disney area - as we don't really plan to go off-site in that week.

 

[WOODY13]

biggroofy, it shouldn't take an hour from the airport unless you hit a traffic back up. The car rental co. you speak of is Alamo/National at the car care center just inside the main gate of MK. they have a shuttle that picks you up at your hotel and takes you there. At the car care center there is a gas station.

 

[goofy4tink]

The trip from MCO to WDW is about half an hour. Not too long.
As far as renting cars vs. DME....I would take DME to my resort and then rent a car, if I needed one, from either the Swan/Dolphin area or the Car Care Center. If you rent at the Car Care Center you can get a shuttle back and forth to your resort.
I just love not having to worry about my bags once I ship them off at my home airport. And as far as wait times to check-in....we've used DME several times now. The only time we had a longish wait was at Pop. THere it took us about 25 minutes to get through the line at check-in. At BC and at BW it took only about 10 minutes total.

 

[biggroofy]

Thank you for WOODY13 and goofy4tink's information.

I'd guess I better off to take DME to resort first, just in case we lost our way (first time driving in Florida).

So, is it less hassle to rent a car (when travelling with an infant), then taking the disney transportation (POFQ <-> theme parks)? I went thru the forum and some said we should expect an hour (e.g. POFQ -> Magic Kingdom), but some said longest bus ride is 15 mins.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Now I am a little confused...I know that I have to be on the DME bus for my luggage to be delivered. We plan to (maybe) rent a car for part of our trip at the Dolphin so that we can go to other resorts hassle free. I thought that we couldn't check in with our airline at our resort if we weren't using DME on the return to the airport. Is this wrong? Can we check in and send our luggage on the bus or not? How early can you check in?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

We took magical express to the resort and then national/alamo picked up DH and took him to the AAA car care center. HE was gone all of 30 min and we used ME on the way home to

it was easy and we saved alot of $$ rather than picking up at the airport

 

[safetymom]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=936566

You might want to read this thread for more information on DME. If you don't want to use DME on your return trip you don't have to. Your airline needs to be a participating one for you to do resort check in and receive your boarding passes and check your luggage. You are free to take your rental car or ride DME. If your airline is not participating then you will need to take it with you to the airport. If taking DME they will be underneath the bus.

The post explains it better than I can.

 

[WOODY13]

Thank you for WOODY13 and goofy4tink's information.

I'd guess I better off to take DME to resort first, just in case we lost our way (first time driving in Florida).

So, is it less hassle to rent a car (when travelling with an infant), then taking the disney transportation (POFQ <-> theme parks)? I went thru the forum and some said we should expect an hour (e.g. POFQ -> Magic Kingdom), but some said longest bus ride is 15 mins.

IMHO I would get the rental car and drive to all parks with the possible exception of MK. The bus drops you off right in front of MK. With a car you have to park in the lot on the other side of Seven Seas Lagoon,then take the tram ,then take the monorail or a boat.I personally would drive to all the parks but I don't like the buses that much and like the flexibility of having a car at the parks with me.Warning it can be a little confusing driving around WDW especially the first time.

 

[LauraLea]

I want to add......

We used DME to WDW, then rented a car at the Dolphin and returned it at MCO at the end of our trip. This gave us better rate than renting both ways at either location. Worked for our Dec trip and our upcoming May trip.

Laura

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Safetymom,

Thanks for the link. Do I have this right...I can check in and check my luggage first thing in the am (flying Delta), go to the park for the day, return my rental at MCO, and my bags will be delivered to the airport by DME?

I had never thought of doing this. We planned to pack the car in the am and leave the luggage in the car while at the parks. I would rather not do this if I don't have to.